Sydney Magic and Campbelltown City Quake lock horns in Marrickville

In front of a crowd of over 300 people (putting to shame some outdoor NSW League crowds) the atmosphere was terrific as both clubs demonstrated why they have had so much success in Futsal.
The Men?s Open Match certainly lived up to its billing with an entertaining, yet low scoring, 1-2 win by the visitors. Within the first thirty seconds of the match Quake had taken the lead with Simon Keith stealing the ball from Magic and forcing Jack Atkinson into making a fantastic save as he pushed Keith?s shot around the post. From the corner Keith laid it straight to Dean Lockhart who put it low into the far corner of the net.
In the eighth minute Magic broke through Dylan Maloney and his shot from distance beat the keeper but smashed against the post and away from the target. Two minutes later and the Quake players were up in arms appealing against Atkinson being over the line and having touched the ball with his hands in their opinion. However the referee declined their request to give a free kick as he felt it did not come off the hands of the Magic?s custodian. A minute later and superstar Marino Musumeci flew down the right flank, turned the defence inside out, hit the goal line took one step back, and then fired the ball home from the tightest of angles to tie things up at one each.
Quake hit straight back through Heber Carvalho but his attempt to score was denied thanks to great work from Atkinson. Magic however regained control of the game and Ross Fazzalaro shot twice in a couple of minutes, the first one over the top and the second was blocked by the keeper. On this occasion the ball ended up back with Fazzalaro and his follow up effort actually beat the keeper but came off a defender on the line. Again claims for a penalty were declined by the referees. Three minute later and Fazzalaro was at it again but his effort this time went wide.
All square at half time and normal service was renewed after the break with both sides playing some entertaining Futsal but Magic having the dominant possession for the opening five minutes. On the break Tuan Cao was certainly dangerous for Quake and Magic had to be wary of this. In the 36^th minute Cao broke forward and shot past the keeper but somehow Andres Gomes was able to scramble back and clear the ball off the line to deny the goal. Then in the 44^th Simon Keith chipped the advancing Magic keeper and the ball looked like dropping into the top corner when on the line Fazzalaro managed to clear the ball away off his knee with a very difficult, yet obviously successful, manoeuvre.
With two minute to play a set of crisp passes from Simon Keith on the right to Tim Simpson on the left and then into Carvalho in the middle saw Magic with a game winning opportunity. This was one opportunity they would not let slide from their hands and Carvalho slotted home the winner for Quake. The next two minutes saw Magic put much pressure on the visitors and the last play of the game was Jon Azzopardi in the Quake goalmouth pulling off a wonderful save from the shot of Musumeci.
In the earlier celebrity match Les Murray?s side was comprehensively beaten by an ex-Futsalroo side led by Adam Cofoy with the final score being 8-2. In the second minute legend Sisko Filipovic put Murray?s team up by a goal, demonstrating the skills he still has to this day, However within a couple of minutes the scores were level when Joe Naven pounced on an error between Alex McPherson, in goals, and Erkin Osman to slot home. A minute later and a long-range effort from Jason Wells gave his side a lead that they would never lose. In the 12^th minute Wells turned provider as he played the ball to Zlatko Momircevski who placed the ball past McPherson at his near post and into the back of the net with a sublime piece of skill. A minute before the break and Wells had an effort blocked by the hand of Carlo Logiudice and Wells scored the resultant penalty. There was still time for one more goal in the half as Paul Lombardo laid the ball across from the left to Wells who fired home another goal.
With the score at 5-1 at half time it was more about pride than anything else from Murray?s team and they certainly had that. Filipovic had his second and his side?s second goal in the 22^nd minute and five minutes later they almost had a third but Jason Lancer?s back heeled effort was saved by Confoy. The ball then broke the other way through Dario Torrisi and he set up Lombardo who took his chance to make the score 6-2. In the last five minutes of the match Torrisi scored a double to complete the scoring for the match.
The under 16?s girls match that was held after the men?s open match was also an entertaining affair. Early on it was all Magic with Juliana Dundovic making particular inroads and forcing Carla Monforte into making a fingertip save in the fifth minute. Three minutes later Quake?s Zoeie Redman cut out a strong Magic attack. Magic regained possession but Samantha Bergin gave the ball up to Jasmina Kasic and she put Linda Dudek in on goal. Against the general run of play Quake had a chance and Dudek slid the ball past Brigitte Hunt and into the net for the opening goal of the match.
In the 13^th minute Monporte pulled off a spectacular save from Jenna Kingsley?s shot and on the break Dudek had her effort denied by Hunt at the other end. One goal in it at half time but within two minutes of the other side of the break the score was level. Bergin flicked it to the right with a great piece of skill and Natasha Logivoice slid the ball back into the path of Bergin who shot past the keeper and home.
A minute later and a shot from over half way by Emma-Jade Cocker was just punched over the cross bar by Hunt. Kasic was unlucky not to score from the resultant corner. In the 27^th minute Magic?s Jenna Kingsley set up a chance for Natasha Logivoice and she converted to give her side the lead. However Quake struck back within three minutes thanks to a Magic goal kick which went straight to Dudek who simply slotted the ball back just to the side and behind from where it had come.
Then after a three-minute period of superb Futsal skill the locals took the lead again. Through traffic Kingsley fired the ball home with keeper Monporte unsighted until the last second and unable to stop the ball from going in. Magic then piled on the pressure to make the game sure but Monporte was in fine form and the cross bar occasionally helped as well. With three minutes to go Quake?s Zoeie Redman turned her marker and from a tough angle shot the ball goal wards and watched as it slid into the back of the net for an equaliser. Despite a couple of late Magic shots the game?s action was complete with the final score reading 3-3. 
-By Stuart Jones